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Prayer — For The City We Are Building

God of light,

you see the cities we build—

not only with stone and streets,

but with choices, habits, and priorities.

You know how easily comfort can become our refuge

and abundance can dull our attention.

Forgive us for the ways we hoard and protect

what makes us feel secure,

while others struggle to have what they need.

Teach us to build a different kind of world—

one that makes room,

one that opens gates,

one that interrupts harm

and chooses mercy over indifference.

Slow us down where justice needs patience.

Open our hands where fear has made us cling.

Widen our hearts

so our light does not shine only for ourselves.

Shape us into a people

whose lives reflect your care for the vulnerable

and your hope for the world.

Amen.

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Light on the Hill

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.”

— Matthew 5:14

When Jesus speaks of a city on a hill,

he is not talking about visibility alone.

He is asking a deeper question:

What kind of city are we becoming?

People show what they value

by the kind of cities they build.

The prophet condemns one kind of city in Ezekiel 16:49—

a city of abundance, comfort, and ease,

yet unwilling to help the poor and the needy.

It had everything it needed.

And still, it failed to become light.

The ancient world knew another kind of city—

places of sanctuary that interrupted cycles of violence,

refusing to let revenge have the final word.

Cities that protected the vulnerable—

the indebted, the enslaved, and the defeated.

Scripture imagines cities like this too—

places where retribution is slowed long enough

for truth to be heard,

for mercy to be practiced,

for life to be protected.

So when we are called to be the light of the world,

we are being asked more than whether we are seen.

We are being asked:

What kind of world are we building—

one that hoards and protects its own comfort,

or one that makes room for others to have what they need?

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

⸻

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A Prayer to Preserve What Matters

God of steadfast love,

You have placed us in the world

not to dominate it,

but to preserve what is fragile and good.

Make us a people who guard hope

when discouragement threatens to erase it.

Make us a people who believe in redemption

even when others have written the final chapter.

Make us a people who defend dignity—

not only for those we admire,

but for those the world has cast aside.

Keep our hearts from growing dull,

our compassion from losing its strength,

and our faith from becoming ineffective.

Teach us to live steady and faithful lives

that slow the spread of despair

and protect what you are still restoring.

May we be salt that preserves,

love that endures,

and witnesses to your mercy

in a weary world.

Amen.

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Morning Reflection — Salt That Preserves

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?

It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled under foot.”

— Matthew 5:13

In the ancient world, salt was not primarily about taste.

It was about preservation.

Salt kept food from spoiling.

It slowed decay.

It protected what mattered from being lost.

When Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, he is not asking us to dominate, perform, or seek recognition—

but to remain faithful to what preserves life and hope.

We are called to preserve hope for the discouraged—

when life has worn them down and the future feels thin.

We are called to preserve the possibility of redemption for the fallen—

when shame tries to convince them their story is over.

We are called to preserve the dignity and honor of every person—

especially when the world is quick to discard, label, or trample.

Salt does its work without seeking attention or recognition,

preserving what would otherwise be lost—

because preservation itself is an act of love.

And when we live this way, the world does not lose

what God still intends to heal.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

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A Prayer for Joy While We Wait

Gracious God,

As this day comes to a close,

We thank You for the vision You place within our hearts—

A vision that gives meaning to our steps

And courage to our choices.

When the road felt difficult,

Remind us that we are not alone.

Those who came before us were also misunderstood,

Resisted, and opposed—

Yet they remained faithful because they trusted

What You revealed to them.

Help us to rest tonight in the quiet joy of knowing

That our lives are held in Your purpose,

That nothing done in faith is ever wasted,

And that Your promises are still unfolding.

Grant us peace as we sleep,

Strength for tomorrow,

And hearts that continue to rejoice—

Not because everything is finished,

But because You are faithful.

Amen.

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Rejoicing Before the Promise Is Complete

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

— Matthew 5:12

When the vision becomes clear, it does more than point us toward the future—it begins to shape how we live right now. Faith allows us to step into that vision before it is fully realized. We start to walk, speak, and love as though the promise is already unfolding.

This is how the prophets endured rejection, suffering, and misunderstanding. They had seen something deeper than the present moment. The vision sustained them. It filled them with a quiet joy and an unshakable sense of purpose. Even in hardship, they were blessed—not because life was easy, but because meaning was clear.

To “rejoice and be glad” is not to deny pain. It is to live anchored in hope. It is to trust that faithfulness has weight, that perseverance matters, and that what God has promised is more real than what threatens to discourage us today.

When we are given a glimpse of what could be—of what God is bringing to life—we begin to live into it now, even as we wait for its full completion.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

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A Prayer for Integrity Under Fire

God of truth and mercy,

you know the weight of words spoken against us—

especially when they are unfair or untrue.

Give us the humility to hear what is true

and the wisdom to release what is not.

When we are misjudged,

keep us from becoming defensive or bitter.

When our motives are questioned,

steady us in what you know to be true.

Shape our lives with such integrity

that false accusations lose their power,

and untrue words cannot take root.

Help us live gently,

act justly,

and love faithfully—

not to prove ourselves,

but to remain grounded in you.

Let our lives speak louder than accusation,

and our hope rest in your truth.

Amen.

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Living So Well It Isn’t True

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you

and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”

— Matthew 5:11

Not all criticism is persecution.

Sometimes it’s correction.

Sometimes it’s a mirror.

But Jesus speaks here about accusations that are false—

words spoken to wound, distort, or discredit.

The word translated revile carries the sense of being insulted or shamed

(oneidizō, ὀνειδίζω).

It names attacks on reputation, not just actions.

So the question this blessing invites us to ask is simple—and searching:

Is the criticism true?

If it is, we listen.

We repent.

We grow.

But if it is not—

if our lives are marked by integrity, compassion, and care—

then we are not called to defend ourselves endlessly.

We are called to live so well

that the accusation cannot take root.

Faithfulness does not make us immune to criticism.

But it does free us from being defined by it.

And that, too, is a blessing.

I’m Horace McMillon.

This is 60 Seconds of Hope.

Peace be with you.

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